Beneath Iran's Dusty Desert Lie Ancient Water Tunnels Still in Use

May 31, 2017 - Thousands of years ago, Persians created an ingenious system to provide water across their arid landscape. They tapped aquifers at the heads of valleys and designed tunnels that utilized gravity to send the water to settlements. It's now estimated that the combined length of all the underground channels, known as qanats, in Iran is equivalent to the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

At 102 years old, Gholamreza Nabipour is the oldest and most experienced caretaker of qanats. And while they are still in use today, Mr. Nabipour worries about the upkeep in the future. He has dedicated his life to training new caretakers on how to work and preserve the ancient life-giving tunnels.

Beneath Iran's Dusty Desert Lie Ancient Water Tunnels Still in Use

May 31, 2017 - Thousands of years ago, Persians created an ingenious system to provide water across their arid landscape. They tapped aquifers at the heads of valleys and designed tunnels that utilized gravity to send the water to settlements. It's now estimated that the combined length of all the underground channels, known as qanats, in Iran is equivalent to the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

At 102 years old, Gholamreza Nabipour is the oldest and most experienced caretaker of qanats. And while they are still in use today, Mr. Nabipour worries about the upkeep in the future. He has dedicated his life to training new caretakers on how to work and preserve the ancient life-giving tunnels.